


Effervescent Pearls

by Justawriter68



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Adventures under and above the sea, Byun Baekhyun & Kim Jongdae | Chen & Park Chanyeol are Best Friends, Courting rituals?, Hopefully good imagery, Islanders Chanyeol and Jongdae, M/M, Marine Biologist Kyungsoo, Marine Biologist Yixing, Mentions of Sirens, Mermaid Jongin!, Mermaids!, Nini in the bathtub, Superstitious locals, pearls, sea shells, slow burn?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 12:37:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21118925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justawriter68/pseuds/Justawriter68
Summary: Kyungsoo goes to an island post college graduation for the first real field work of his career.Amongst the myths, superstitions, and science around the island. He ends up finding more than he was bargaining for.





	Effervescent Pearls

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, This is my work for MonsterFest2019! and let me tell you it was a journey writing it! I have never written a one shot this long, in my life. So I truly hope that you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, by the end I feel like it took a mind of its own, but I decided to go with it. The hardest part I think was trying not to make this too long, I'm a sucker for details and world building, and in this came about little interesting tidbits in my mind that I guess will stay there. 
> 
> Anyways to the prompter of T123, I hope I was able to do your prompt justice and that you enjoy reading the story! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Waves lap gently at the shore, pulling in the sand and pushing out more in its place. Salt tinging the air with every breath, a with every gust. It was as if the sea also owned the land that it surrounded, as vast, all knowing, all encompassing as its own mysteries. With in its clear depths, swirling, all telling but at the same time able to keep secrets. 

Perhaps this is why Kyungsoo was drawn to the sea and all of its mysteries. 

Content to feel the sea at his legs, saturating the edge of his pants, and the sand in his shoes, the sun beating on his back content to spend his time here rather than any other place on earth. 

And perhaps it was this connection with the sea that made it easy for him to come spend something close to a year on an island, far out from any of his friends are family, with limited contact to the outside world. His other colleagues had called him crazy as they took positions in prestigious labs and other aquatic facilities, ones that had wanted him too, most of the time first pick. 

But he had given it up for the island, for the ocean calling out to him. 

For what purpose he does not yet know. 

“Kyungsoo-yah!” 

The voice draws his attention from the task of taking cultures of the sea water, the sea-foam almost knocking the vial out of his hand. 

“Doctor Zhang.” He greets the elder, getting up from his crouched position in the sand, it's then as his line of sight travels that he realizes that the doctor isn’t alone. Just behind him is one of the locals, Chanyeol, tall, all limbs, and smiley. 

He immediately puts the vials into their safe spaces, it wasn’t that he couldn’t trust the other, Chanyeol was as sweet as anyone could be and genuinely tried to be helpful. The taller just had the unfortunate pairing of being clumsy, more often than not injuring himself in the process. 

“I told you to call me, Yixing or Hyung.” The elder reminds, giving him a gentle dimpled smile. “Are you about done here?” 

His eyebrows furrow about to ask why, but then he sees how the sun is descending below the horizon, reds and blues dissolving into the ocean. 

He notes how antsy Chanyeol is. 

Kyungsoo hadn’t even realized that it had gotten that late. “Ah, yeah! I was just finishing up.” He kneels again to clean up the rest of his kit, placing everything into his bag, collecting his shoes. “Sorry, I lost track of time.” He explains as they walk back towards the town, the life center of the island. 

The doctor only smiles again and gives him a pat on the shoulder. “Lets get some dinner, yeah?” 

The younger agrees, his stomach giving out a grumble at just the mere mention of something to eat. The three head off towards the local eatery, as always its crowded with local people relaxing after their day. The air filled with laughter and with the smell of looked food, glasses clinking. 

He’s been here a month already, but the atmosphere hadn’t worn on him yet, it was beginning to feel like a home away from home. He had been worried in that chasing his profession, that he would find himself a little lonely, but luckily that hadn’t been the case. As the doctor had been welcoming, even though he had been late to greet Kyungsoo on his first day here. 

Something about birds, nothing that was relevant now, he’d just been grateful the elder had shown up at all, even when the elder had mentioned that he had indeed forgotten that Kyungsoo was supposed to arrive that day. He soon learned that this behavior was more than normal for the marine biologist and not at all in anyway intentional. 

“Yeol!” A familiar voice greets them as they enter the establishment, the owner of the voice cutting above the rest. 

“Dae!” The taller man greets his best friend with a binding smile, heading over to the table that the other was occupying. 

Like Chanyeol he was a native of the island, and sometimes came to watch Yixing and Kyungsoo work. 

He was slightly less clumsy than Chanyeol, just as excitable but just as lovable. 

The two marine scientists take the seat at the table Jongdae had procured, instantly a server coming over to collect their orders. Kyungsoo was glad for it too, after a long day and finally getting to slow down had made him realize how hungry he actually was. 

“So, did you see anything interesting today?” The local boy leans forward on the wooden table, one that had been obviously well used over the years. The wood chipped, carved into and scratched, it screamed life. 

Well worn and well cared for. 

Unlike the oceans. 

“More of the same unfortunately, not much else, I’m afraid to report.” Kyungsoo replies, just as the waitress comes back to their drinks. 

Another reason that Kyungsoo had chosen the small island, was also the condition of the water and the ocean life in it. Sadly the island had become the victim of pollution in the water due to various items of trash that the currents were bringing their way. Humanity was actively poisoning that which helped keep them alive, and islands and the surrounding reefs, and marine life like this one were the ones who had to pay for it. 

It was crippling for the locals here, Kyungsoo could see it and he’d only been here for a couple of months, the local fishermen were having a harder time finding places that were deemed clean enough to pull fish from. 

Attention needed to be brought to the area, and Yixing was most passionate about it, Kyungsoo had figured that out when he had seen the elder get more than furious at the outrightdisregard that the area had been given. He’d almost jumped out of his skin seeing the usually more placid professor actually angry, he’d been so glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of the wrath. 

That had only been his second week here. 

But he felt that the others fury was justified, it was ridiculous just how much Yixing’s reports had been dismissed, this was serious and effected more than they would like to realize. With the climate changing and the oceans rising, and island like this one were in ever encroaching danger of the ocean taking more surface and the other unpredictable weather that had ever been seen on the island. 

That, and the locals were very superstitious, they had legends about the ocean. So they were wary about letting too much of anything happen the in ocean in fear of angering whatever it was that they believed to be down there. 

Its why Chanyeol and Jongdae were still so wary to be near the ocean for long periods of time, instead choosing to join both of the marine biologists on a day where they aren’t so immersed in the water. 

Kyungsoo was still getting distrustful looks with how much time he spent down by the water, taking samples, and running other tests. 

Yixing had told him to ignore it, and that the locals would leave him alone eventually once they got used to him being there, and as long as he didn’t do too much they should be fine. 

He knew that this was the very thing that had kept him here as long as he had been, even though Kyungsoo could see the scientist in him was itching to take one of the small boats and go out into the open ocean, they could do so much out there. But the possibility of being permanently barred from the island would do more harm than good so they had to work with what they got. 

“I see,” the blonde replies with a slight tilt of his head, “in this case isn’t no news good news?” 

Both Yixing and Kyungsoo let out a non committal hum, just because they weren’t getting anything else on their reports didn’t mean that there was not something else going on out there.

Finally the food arrives and the conversation shifts from the troubles of the ocean, to a story that Jongdae recounts with much gusto for almost everyone to hear. 

***

Returning home for the night for Kyungsoo was always a little therapeutic, although he wasn’t the most introverted person. He still valued his peace alone in the evenings, especially after a day in the sun where he could feel the heat rising from his skin. 

He realizes with a curse that he had most likely gotten sunburn, reapplying sunscreen had gotten completely lost to the back of his mind once he was immersed in his work. 

The small little shack he’d acquired was nice, it wasn’t too big and it wasn’t too small, it was enough space to house guests should they come over without being too cramped. That and from one window in his kitchen he could see the ocean, the foam hitting the rocks below and cresting a little bit. 

Yixing had offered to let the younger stay with him, he’d politely declined not wanting to take up the others space, when they would pretty much be spending every day together. He was pleasantly surprised to have found this place, although as he learned about the local culture more it was no surprise that the place was unoccupied because it was so close to the water. 

With a sigh, he dries himself off after his shower, finding his aloe in one of the drawers. Thanking his mother for being so apt at wanting him to bring some with him, mothers being mothers often saved their off spring a lot of trouble. 

Looking in the mirror he knew that it was going to peel, but perhaps not too badly. 

Tonight the moon shone across the water, the gleam masking some of the dirt and other things that may be lurking below. The water is shimmering at the surface, a treasure upon its self as if it was teasing to what was just underneath if you dared to take a peak. 

He finishes applying the aloe before collapsing on the bed for the night, the lamp beside his bed going off with a click, the moonlight coming through his sheer curtains acting as a natural nightlight as he thought about his day. 

He loved what he was doing on the island it was just, that something needed to change, he was there to help make a difference in the quality of life for marine life, and now these people. 

He thought about the legend he’d been told one day after a fisherman had nearly scared the soul out of him when the older man had suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder as he’d been collecting samples. 

It had nearly sent him barreling into the ocean, rather than keep him away as he had obviously intended. Giving him a warning about the creatures that lurked in the surface, he’d listened to the older man finish his speech. 

The older man had basically told him that there were _mermaids _or a creature similar in the waters around the ocean. 

He said they stole anyone who came too close, anyone who caught their eye. 

Good thing he didn’t have to worry about that, he didn’t catch anyone’s eye much less a _fictional _creature.

When he’d asked Yixing about it he confirmed that similar thing had happened to him when he had first arrived here, to his disbelief, even the fear of these supposed creatures was instilled into Chanyeol and Jongdae. 

He couldn’t wrap his mind around it, and thusly he found himself with those thoughts leading him off to sleep. 

***

The next morning he awakens early as always, enjoying a cup of coffee as the sun peaked over the horizon. The sea turning awash with the light of the morning, a new dawn and a new day, sadly the sunlight also revealed the various bits of trash that had been concealed by the cover of the night. 

This was also part of his morning routine, collecting what little trash he could from the little embankment beside his house. Polishing off the rest of his breakfast he gathers his things and then heads out side, taking in the lungful of salty air calming his senses as he enjoys the sound of the water lapping at various rocks. 

Nature’s own lullaby. 

He finds the usual wrappers, plastic, cans that one would normally see. His nose wrinkles in disgust as he cleans up the little area, wishing that he could some how get some of the pieces of trash that were a little more in the water, but he supposed this little bit would have to do for now. 

It was _something_. 

He stands up straight taking another look at the area to make sure that he hadn’t missed anything else, major and that he could reach. Something sparkly catches his eye, This shine wasn't like any of the metal cans or other pieces of trash that he had picked up in the past month that he had been here. No, it was something else maybe like a coin or something, but as he got closer he finds a chain sticking out of the sand. 

leaning down he finds that its a gold chain upon further inspection and attached to it, was a single pearl, just as iridescent and perfect as if it had never been found. He marveled at the piece of jewelry knowing that someone was probably missing this item dearly. 

He guesses that it maybe was one of the locals, somehow it had gotten washed out to sea where he knew that none of them would actually go out to touch it, so it was with great luck, that it had ended up in his little enclave. Washing the necklace up with a little bit of the water and then drying it off with his shirt, he places it on, hiding the precious pearl under neath his T-shirt, before heading back up to his house to prepare for the day. 

He knew that it wasn't going to be anything unusual, but that doesn't mean he doesn't remember to make sure he has his sunscreen if he doesn't want a repeat of yesterday. When he woke up he found that the spot on the back of his neck was indeed peeling a little, though it seemed that the aloe had done its job and spared him from the worst of it. 

In the middle of his packing there is an excited bout of knocking at his door, this causes him to raise an eyebrow, it seemed that the necklace wasn't the only change if his morning routine. He's shocked to find Yixing standing at his door, and although he looked like he had just ran a marathon to get here, the cheeks of his face red, there was excitement none the less. 

"Hyung? What's going on?" 

The elder catches his breath."A Boat! got a boat!" Some of the words are lost to him upon the others intake of oxygen. 

The words don't make sense to the young marine specialist. "A boat? Did one sink off shore?" 

He could feel concern beginningto immediately well up in his stomach, how were , how were they even going to handle such a situation had it occurred. There was no way this island was equipped to handle that, no matter the people and their apparent hydrophobia. Not to mention if they were able to ascertain any type of help, it could take weeks to even get there and higher powers above only know how much damage could be done.

Hell, the damage being done now as they sat here in his doorway. 

But if that was the case, then why the elder scientist look absolutely _elated_? 

"No, we've got a boat!" Yixing grabs his shoulders. "We're going to study out on the water!" 

As soon as his brain catches up with the words he breaks out into a bright smile along with the doctor. "What? Really?"   


The dimpled professor nods enthusiastically, it seemed that he had gotten his wish, things were looking up for him today. The elder doesn't have to tell him twice before he's zipping back into his house and placing things into his bag with an excitement that he hadn't felt since he had first arrived here. 

They were finally going to see the ocean, actually be on the water and garner some actual data, that could finally prove that this was a problem not to be waited on. As soon as they leave his residence, he couldn't wait to get to the water fast enough it seemed.   


They arrive at the beach where he can see the familiar heads of Chanyeol and Jongdae were waiting for them. The taller of the two, anxiously biting down at his bottom lip. 

Once Kyungsoo saw the boat, he had to keep himself from shouting out in joy at the mere sight at the machine. Was it the grandest water craft he had seen? No, but It at least looked like it was going to keep them afloat. "Hyung, how did you manage this?" 

A soft smile and a wink, are his only answer as they proceed to put their bags into the boat. 

Behind them Chanyeol and Jongdae shuffle around a little nervously, their eyes shifting around the area as if waiting for someone to come out and tell them that what they were being witness to was wrong. 

"This will help, right? If you're out on the water?" Chanyeol finally asks, the red of his hair blazing magnificently in the early morning light. 

"Of course, Chanyeol, this is what we studied for." Kyungsoo supplies, trying to ease some of the other mans nerves. 

Yixing finally turns around. "We won't even be going out that far into the water, most of collecting will probably be done before the sun even has time to think of setting." He gives him that famous dimpled smile, it seems to make some of the tension leave the taller man's frame.

With one last reassurance to the to island natives, the pair of scientists head off onto the water just as the sun was able to leave the horizon. The sky now becoming a much more stable color of blue, rather than the symphony that he had been during the early morning hours. 

Once they were out in the water, he could finally see what type of damage he was working with, he could see a few pieces of trash and a slight film where they were stationed in the water.

He immediately places a glove onto his hand collecting a sample into one of the tubes that they had with them. it wasn’t too bad, you could still see through the water to the sandy floor on the bottom, but it was still enough to be concerning. 

Yixing makes a sound of what could be interpreted as disappointment. “I should count our blessings that we were at least able to get this boat.” The elder digs through his bag. “I’m just sorry that it took this long to get here.” 

“Well, what matters now is that we’re here, and now we can closely study things.” Kyungsoo says with a smile, adjusting the brim of his sun hat. 

Yixing agrees with a smile of his own, and soon they’re buried in their work, hours slipping by like the air. The only time they stop is for lunch, the sun now over midway in the sky, Kyungsoo is in the middle of a sandwich when he catches the older staring over at him quite intensely. 

This prompts him to turn his sights towards the sea, but like the whole time they’d been out there, nothing is in the water. 

“Where’d you get that?” 

Kyungsoo realizes that the elder is pointing his attention at the necklace he’d found this morning. 

  
"Oh, I found it washed up on the little shore near my house while I was picking up trash, pretty isn't it?" his thumb hooks around the chain of necklace, causing the gold to shine and the pearl to shimmer. "I know someone has to be missing it, do you think it belongs to one of the locals." The necklace falls back to the cotton of his shirt. 

"I don't think so, even something as simple as a pearl is regarded as back luck." Yixing says, there's a bit of a far away look in his eye as he says this, almost sad in a way other than the times the elder had mentioned the islands various superstition.

"Right, how could I forget. That was bit of a stupid question, wasn't it?" The younger wipes his hands off with the small old cloth he'd brought with him as a napkin. 

"There are no stupid questions, only wrong ones." The doctor smiles, adjusting the brim of his own sun hat. "Now let's finish up, daylights fading." 

"Yes, Professor." 

The rest of their time on the water proves valuable as there were storm clouds beginning to roll in. The wind picking up and slightly cresting the water, below them he could feel the true test of the ocean, reminding him that he wasn't on his turf. 

"I don't like the look of those clouds, we need to get back to shore." Yixing says. 

It was true, the clouds were dark and heavy, lightning splitting at the sky in the distance. 

Kyungsoo without another word begins packing up the equipment, and by the time they lift the anchor and make their way back to shore, the air is ripe with the smell of petrichor of the approaching storm. 

A familiar blonde and red head waiting for them at the shore helping them to pull the boat ashore. 

"We were worried that you two weren't going to make it back before the storm came." Chanyeol mentions as they drag the small boat into a safe area so that it wouldn't be swept away or particularly damaged. 

"Yixing-Hyung seems to have a seventh sense about the weather." Kyungsoo replies.

"Well he's right its going to be a bad one." Jongdae states, eyes closing against the incoming wind as it picked up sand from the beach. 

The aforementioned's gaze is piercing the ocean, looking ever darker and more sinister than he had ever seen it. It made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end with the intensity of the atmosphere. 

"We should leave." 

It doesn't need to said twice as the four of them all scatter in their various directions, trying to beat the rain. Kyungsoo was lucky getting inside before the rain barely had time to touch him, outside turning into a calamity of nature. Wind, rain, thunder and lightning, it shook the small house no its frame and Kyungsoo was happy that he had decided to invest in reinforcing the seaside abode before anything particularly nasty could happen. 

He sags in relief putting down the bag full of vials carefully, on the chair in his kitchen table. 

Outside of his window the waves were just as violent, their beautiful fury, breaking against the rock splashing sea foam flying into the air. The water almost seemed angry as if it was trying to tear town the land itself with just the force of his push. 

Kyungsoo had no doubt that it could. 

Tearing his gaze away from the water outside, he swiftly moves himself to the bathroom. There was no telling how much longer he would have power and he was still sticky and sweaty from the days events. 

He'd avoid going to bed like that if he could help it. 

The shower is quick and effective, leaving him feeling fresh and relaxed as he then went to warm up some dinner and fix some tea as was his nightly ritual. 

_I wonder how long this storm is going to last? _

Again he he has this feeling along the back of his neck, hair prickling as he watches again from his window. 

As it turns out, the storm rages up until he goes to bed, the flashes of light and howling wind acting as some twisted lullaby as he fell asleep that night.

The next morning is almost the exact opposite of the storm from last night. Clear skies, sunshine streaming through the window, oddly enough  it was one of the best nights of sleep he has had since beginning college.

Despite the worry that his house was going to be blown away in the storm, he had fallen asleep pretty easily. 

Feeling a little unusually peppy he begins his morning routine, outside he could see the aftermath of the storm, leaves from the various palm trees, sticks and other things. 

He could only imagine what the beach looked like. 

But not even that thought could bring his mood down as he finished his breakfast, getting his bag and grabbing tool as usual before heading out of the back of his house and onto the sand.

Just as he thought the beach and everything else is a mess from sticks and leaves strewn across the area, and in this particular case it was also mixed with whatever was thrown up by the ocean. He picks his way through slimy pieces of seaweed, discerning them from the pieces of trash that had been washed up. 

Eventually he works his way to the area where he'd found the necklace, noticing that most of his bags that he had brought with him were almost full. 

_Oh... _

However, there was nothing else for him to do other than to keep going, so he trudges on. Picking through the seaweed, that until once again like yesterday he notices that there is something that certainly peaking out from the seaweed. 

Not a necklace or another piece of jewelry, no he realizes that its a whole _human_ head he’s looking at. 

His thought process only stalls for a moment before he realizes that the man could still be alive, and he cautiously walks over, clearing the seaweed and other objects from the mans face, to make sure that he was breathing.

And what face it was, skin kissed by the sun in one continuous even tone, almost like his tea with milk. 

This was undoubtedly a beautiful man, even looking literally washed up. 

Thankfully Kyungsoo finds that the other is and moves forward to move more of the debris away from the man to check for more injuries what he uncovers leaves him reeling in shock once again. The lower half of the man’s body were scales, as he lived, breathed and studied scales, and those led down to the _tail_. 

And then before his eyes, the fin and accompanying scales transform into skin and legs equally the tone of the top half of his body. 

Kyungsoo’s first instinct is to call for help, but then he realizes that it wouldn’t be a good idea, he has no idea if the tail would reappear in the midst of someone helping him. He knew that this situation would not turn out well. 

Shaking himself out of the shock, he could worry about smaller details later, he needed to get the other inside before the man did end up dead. He quickly removes his jacket, not carefully flipping the man, creature? over carefully tying the jacket to cover his lower regions while removing the rest of the debris from him before slinging one arm over his shoulder. 

Kyungsoo lets out a slight grunt at the suddenness of the dead weight being put on him, but he makes it back to the shack none the less. Kicking open the door with his foot to haul the man over to his couch, before going back to shut the door behind him. 

Luckily, he knew that more than likely no had seen him bring the stranger inside of his house. 

He turns for a moment, looking at the body now occupying the couch, he got this man inside, but what was he to do now. He needed to be out of the house soon, anything less would seem suspicious especially since they were probably going to try and spend another day out on the water despite the possibility of their boat being washed away. 

He bit his lip in thought, he couldn’t not show up, that would cause people to come and search for him, and he couldn’t be sure that it would be Yixing that would show up at his door. It could be Chanyeol or Jongdae that showed up. How was he going to explain that this man had washed up to their shores. 

There wasn’t even a boat in the distance, and this storm would have more than likely drug someone down to their depths rather than deliver them to land. The islanders, even Chanyeol and Jongdae as more open as they had been, would retreat to the values and legends that they had been raised on. 

He had to hope that this person wouldn’t wake up before he returned, with that thought heavy on his mind he covers the man in a blanket and heads out, making sure that both of his doors locked as he headed out. 

Most of the rest of the island looked like his small cove had, leaves and sticks thrown around everywhere, but it looked like there was no serious damage as far as he could see as he strode to the beach, when he arrives he sees the familiar head of the doctor. 

“Hyung!” Kyungsoo calls out. 

The marine biologist straightens up from his crouched position, smiling at the younger as he approaches. “Kyungsoo-ah, how are you?” 

“I’m well… how’s everything after the storm?” 

“Its good, not any major damage luckily, just some trees blown over and things like that, things moved around.” The elders eyes set around the beach once again. “How about you, is everything good?” 

Kyungsoo nods. “Like you said, just a lot of debris…” 

He’s given a signature dimpled smile. “Good.” 

“Is the boat okay?” That’s his next question, it would have been a shame for their excursions to stop essentially back to square one. 

“Yes, thankfully, no holes or anything.” The elder scientist laughs. “I was worried that it would have gotten washed out to sea.” 

Kyungsoo feels part of the weight lift off his chest upon the revelation, they could still do this, he looks around again, noticing the certain lack of two individuals. 

“Where are Chanyeol and Jongdae?” 

He hoped nothing had happened to the two, though he doubts that the elder would be this calm had something had happened to the pair of extroverted islanders. 

“They’re helping up at the shack, apparently there was a little bit of flooding, nothing too damaging.” 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen behind the lenses of his glasses. 

“Before you ask, I offered to help, but they told me— us, that it wasn’t necessary.” 

Kyungsoo nods once in understanding.

“Ready to head out?” 

With that the pair take the boat from its location placing it into the water with a little splash before heading out into the water for their usual deluge of work. The water was peaceful, almost deceptively so especially after the havoc that it had threatened to reap last night. 

The ocean was truly an enigma, one perhaps that they would truly never understand. 

“I wonder how much got stirred up last night.” The older asks, sticking of the vials he had into the water, the light cutting through the slight cloudiness that resided in the water. “I can expect that there will be things washing up on shore for a little bit, I wonder what we’ll see.” 

Kyungsoo lets out a little laugh, that comes out maybe just a touch too strangled. “Yeah… I wonder.” 

_Things like… Men with Tails… _He thinks to himself, still not quite believing what he had seen this morning. 

Their work goes by smoothly and they even actually see a fish or two with the small drone that Yixing had remembered to bring with him, much more exciting than yesterday, however with the fish came other bits of trash that were now settled on the bottom of the sandy floor. If this was here, who knows whatever else had been stirred up down there. 

Later on in the day, he realizes that he’s getting more anxious about the thoughts of the man he’d left unconscious on his couch, he found himself making some mistakes, ones that Yixing obviously noticed. 

“Soo-ah, are you okay?” The elder asks, as he nearly catches the younger about to impale his finger on one of the fish hooks they’d placed into the water. 

The elders hand is on his wrist stopping him from going any further from driving the hook into the flesh of his hand. Wide brown eyes look at him and upon realizing on what was about to happen he jerks back from the hook. 

"Yeah, I'm fine... I just didn't get any sleep due to the storm last night." 

"okay, how about we take a break, then we've been at it all day." The elder takes the sharp object from the younger's hand and sets it back down in the box that held the other various sized hooks. 

Kyungsoo nods and allows the elder to sit him down and give him some water. 

for a moment the sound around them is just the sound of the water slapping against the boat, and the sound of seagulls above. The sun getting ever lower was beginning to mix into the splash of the blue below, the red creating a beautiful violet between the two as if it was trying to reach out towards the sky, as a never ending endeavor. 

"This is a lot more enjoyable when the weather isn't trying to pressure you into leaving so soon, wouldn't you say?" 

The younger nods, looking out at the setting sun as well. "It is..." He takes a sip of the water that he had been given. "Hyung, what made you want to be a marine biologist?” Kyungsoo doesn't really know what possesses him to ask the question. Maybe it was something that had been subconsciously nagging at the back of his mind. 

The older man is silent for a moment, and Kyungsoo thinks that he might've asked a too personal a question. "I'm sorry, that might've been too personal." 

"No, no, not at all." The words come with a peal of laughter, his shoulders loose, and it makes Kyungsoo feel a little bit better about the question. "Love," he answers a moment later as if that was as easy as breathing air. 

"Love?" The younger scientist is surprised at the question. 

Yixing nods with a fond look in his eyes, trained in the distance as if he could see something else that no one else knew about. "My first love was with the sea, and I can imagine that's where my heart will stay." 

"I see," 

Silence falls over the pair again, just the boat, sun, and the sea. 

***

Kyungsoo returns to his home that night perhaps eagerly and not so eagerly all at once, he will admit that he did take a little longer than what was necessary to get home. Even though he'd rejected the usual time hanging out with Yixing, Chanyeol, and Jongdae. The older had backed him when he had made the excuse that he hadn't been feeling too well because he'd slept poorly the night before. 

It was a sigh of relief as he had never been the best of liars. 

So, now standing out in front of the tiny shack, sun casting the last of its reddish embers across the island, against him and his door. He finally got the courage to push open the door to the building.

Sticking his head into the room, he notices that the room looked more or less in shape, everything as he had left it more or less, even the body lying wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. 

He pushes the door together gently, maintaining the routine of placing his backpack into one of the kitchen chairs, the color faded and well sun worn. He turns, what did he do now? Did he try to wake the other, he should check to see if he was alive first that would be the first thing. 

He draws himself a glass of water, biting his lip, soon all of those questions are answered when theres a slight thunk right beside his head, the metal twang reaching his ears as he jerks back from the sink effectively dropping the glass of water, as he gasps, looking at what had just flown by his ear. 

Was that one of his freaking _butterknives_? 

In an instant he whips around to where his couch was, widened eyes meet in the setting sun, orange casting through the panes of glass in the window. Gold ringed eyes seared at him through the oncoming darkness, meeting his own dark brown. 

His body felt like someone had tightened it up so that it would never be relaxed again, his mouth as dry as if he had swallowed cement. Tongue heavy and and as clumsy as a bolder outside. 

Maybe he should have told someone anyhow. 

But still he managed to speak somehow, he held his hands palms up and open towards the other man so that he could see that he meant him no harm. The eyes follow the movement from their position on the couch, eyes pinning his every moment. 

"I-I mean you no harm... I found you washed up on the little cove outside of my house this morning." He gestures towards the sandy space just outside of his kitchen window. 

The other follows that movement as well. 

"Are you injured? I-is there anything I can get you?" 

Here he was offering a man that could possibly kill him some water and a warm meal, but thats why, who knows how many weapons he had stashed under the blanket. and by the force of that throwthe other man was still in some form of prime condition. 

Kyungsoo was trying not to think of the usually blunt knife embedded into the, wood lining that surrounded his cabinets. 

The other man, still regards him, head slightly cocked to the side now. There they stood in a stare down, a table between him and the couch. Maybe he could throw it over, before the man got even close to him, he's considering an option when he hears it, the voice. 

"Your fault." the other man says quietly. 

Kyungsoo's expression turns into that of confusion, what was his fault?

“What-" 

"Your kind, they destroy _everything_." He states. 

Kyungsoo is silent for a moment, digesting the words that had just been spoken to him, he was still in fierce staring competition with the elder as they continued in silence. the longer he looked at the other man, the more that he realized the bravado the other was putting up. 

He was scared. 

As anyone would be after waking up in an unfamiliar place. 

So he could try to reason with him, it was obviously that he was intelligent, he has proved that more than once. 

"Listen, I know you're frightened, you're in an unfamiliar place. You have no reason to trust me." He swallows trying to get some form of moisture into his throat and tongue. "But I promise I don't want to do anything to hurt you." 

The other man regarded him, silently once again, hands curling against the the blanket just that much tighter as he weighed his options. 

A nod. 

Kyungsoo let his shoulders sag as he put down his hands, though he tried not to make too many sudden movements. "I'm going to try and see if I can find some clothes for you to wear and get the first aid kit."

Kyungsoo moves almost robotically to his room, trying to gather things as efficiently as possible, although he knew that he didn't have many clothes, if any, that could fit this man. Luckily some how an old flames shirt and shorts had ended up in the clothes he had packed to bring here. 

Moving back out into the living room he puts the pile of clothes on a couch cushion beside him, sitting as far away from the other as was possible until he was invited into his space. He opens the kit, being able to feel the gaze of the other watching his every movement. 

"Do you have any injuries?" 

Golden banded eyes regard him before he silently pulls out his hands, presenting them outstretched; Kyungsoo could see the various scratches that had been inflicted from probably getting hit against various debris and rocks as he was washed ashore. 

The marine scientist took this as affirmation for him to approach and he does with a cotton swab in hand. 

"This is going to sting okay, I'll try and be as gentle as I can, but the wound needs to be clean." 

The other nods his understanding once again, only flinching a couple of times as the human dabbed the cotton gently but firmly against the cuts before covering them in bandages, repeating the process on the other hand. 

"Any where else?" 

The man drops his blanket showing the cuts on his torso, and revealing the deepish gash there as well as one on his shoulder blades. Kyungsoo couldn't hold back a grimace at the cuts, he moves to turn on one of the lamps to see better as the sun was closer to being completely set. 

But the other quickly catches his hand, startling Kyungsoo a bit at how firm and strong it was despite the condition he seemed to be in, he could only imagine how strong the other was when he was in full health. 

The gaze read suspicion as it regarded him, the message clear: what are you doing? 

"I was just turning on a light so I can see better, I can't... um, see in the dark." It was a bold move to assume that the other could see in the dark, but he had a tail, so there was really no telling what he could actually do. 

Kyungsoo really hoped that he wasn't going crazy. 

The grip on his wrist relaxes and the room is filled with light with a little click. 

The man blinks rapidly at the artificial light filling his retinas, one sun kissed arm coming up to momentarily shield his eyes. Before it comes back down, the mans eyes still slightly squinting against the light. 

Kyungsoo couldn't help but notice this. "Does it hurt your eyes?" 

"A little." 

He immediately throws a shirt that he had lying around over the fixture."Better?" Muting the light more than the cheap shade provided had. 

The man nods. 

Kyungsoo gets to work on the gashes, thankfully seeing that they weren't deep enough to require stitches, but they would take some time to heal and would need to be watched to make sure they didn't garner an infection. He repeats the same process, the mysterious man's abdomen retracting from the pain. 

"Sorry," Kyungsoo mumbles. 

The same is done with the shoulder, and once he's in front of him, without being asked the other man uncovers his legs, and the gashes were pretty bad, they even translated to his feet... covered in sore looking wounds. 

He couldn't imagine how that translated to his tail, but he could probably guess that they weren't the most pleasant thing. 

Kyungsoo takes a breath, taking the same care with the wounds, perhaps even more so. It was then that he finally noticed, the unusual thing that had been sitting in the back of his mind. The other didn't have any body hair anywhere on him, with the exception of his eyebrows and the pile of the light brown colored strands on top of his head. 

Almost ten minutes later, and a pile of bloody cotton balls, and a ton of gauze later, he was done. 

"All done." He begins packing up the kit. 

The other doesn't give a verbal confirmation of what Kyungsoo had just said, just continues to watch him as he puts away the kit, eyes following him until he reaches the kitchen table. 

"The clothes on the end of the couch should fit you," His pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'll leave you to change." With out another glance at the other man he leaves the man to change, all the while simultaneously having a mental breakdown of sorts as he paces in his room. 

What the hell is he actually doing? 

There’s a few moments later where he listens and there’s no sound coming from his living room he hesitantly sticks his head out into the living room. Luckily the other had managed to put the clothes on without any assistance. 

Everything was sitting in its correct place, he internally let out a sigh of relief as he once again entered the space. His eye immediately shifting to the butterknife of all things stuck into the wood. 

It spoke to just how strong the other could be if he wanted, if he at all in any way had felt threatened. He's lucky that the other had seemingly missed his target and instead the wood took its place. 

Kyungsoo pulls the knife from the wood, a dull thunk from coming with it, across the room he could feel his guests eyes on him. They meet briefly again as the scientist lowers the utensil, placing it back into the proper drawer. 

The blanket of silence falls over them again and Kyungsoo certainly didn't know what to do either, there wasn't exactly a guide to speaking to the possibly mythical creature one had just been washed ashore. 

Luckily his need for food gave him the topic as the sound of his stomach growling in protest filled the space in the room. He could feel the way his cheeks heatup, he had been wrapped up in his creeping anxiety that he hadn't even thought about getting anything from the shop quickly before he decided to come home. 

His hand scratches the back of his nape, just briefly touching the short hairs. "Are you hungry, I can get us something to eat." 

Again the man seated on the sofa is, silent save for the intense stare that he gave the human. As he if he was fascinated with almost every utterance and movement that he had to make. 

Eventually a nod. 

He could work with that, the both of them are hungry. 

Asif on auto pilot he grabs his keys and wallet from the back back that pretty much contained his life during the day. Sliding on the pair of flip flops that he kept next to the door for such purposes such as late night walks and other things when he wasn't working. 

Though he supposed he always was, even at home looking at the latest reports of what was going on in their scientific community. 

"I'm going out to get us some thing to eat... I'll be back soon," He opens the door, body halfway in between indoors and being outside, "Don't leave, please." 

With that he heads to the shack, the last sight of the other man were the sight of his eyes before he shut and locked the door. As he fast walked to the local hangout spot, he realized just how crazy his situation was turning out to be, it was hitting him now as he got ever closer to a place filled with numerous people. 

It's not exactly like he could tell them exactly what was going on, because that would go over fantastically. 

Finally he can see the lowlights of the restaurant nearing, some bugs swarming the light, but he enters paying no mind to the swarm. Having only one thing on his mind and that was getting the food and then getting back as quickly as possible. 

Of course, he wasn't as lucky, as soon as he had entered he had immediately spotted Chanyeol, Jongdae, and Yixing at a table. It had been too much to hope that possibly that three of them were tired enough to hang out a little bit and then go back home to get some nice rest. 

He avoids their sight luckily, at least for the moment, making it up to the bar and putting his order in quickly, not really seeing the menu as much as he really only looked at it. He knew that he was getting something with fish in it with a side of fries for himself. 

His fingers tapped restlessly against the bar, urging the cook to hurry up even though he knew they made everything here to order. 

"Kyungsoo-yah!" The familiar voice of the doctor, fills his ears and he can't pretend not to hear it, one there was no music playing, two there weren't enough people to claim he hadn't heard him over the crowd, and three it would seem even more strange if he had decided to outright avoid them. 

So he turns from the bar, heading in the direction of the people he could call friends. "Hey, Hyung." He greets once he gets close enough.

"What're you doinghere, Soo? Hyung said you weren't feeling so well." Jongdae asks with a concerned arch of his brow. 

Chanyeol beside him nursing a drink, with a very similar expression across his features. 

"I got hungry and realized that I didn't have anything at home... so I had to come out or either go to bed hungry." He explains. 

"Are you feeling a little bit better? You look a little pale." Yixing frowns at him slightly. "One of us could've brought something to you, if you called." 

"Honestly. I'm fine, Hyung. I'm sure that all I need is a good meal and a proper nights rest." 

One that he was sure he wasn't going to get with his guest around. 

The older man still looks concerned, but he still, gave the younger a nod. Patting his arm in the form of a comforting gesture. 

“Still, let us know if you need anything." Yixing emphasizes, driving his point home with a meaningful stare. 

"Thank you, Hyung." 

The bell rings from the bar area. 

"That's mine, I'll see you all tomorrow... have a good night." He leaves them with one last wave, the force of their gazes on the way out making him walk at a normal speed. 

He doesn't speed walk until he's well out of the sight of people, so this is was paranoia felt like and he didn't know what it was for. But he felt as if he had the largest neon sign across his forehead screaming to everyone that he was hiding a _mermaid_ in his home. 

What a feeling. 

He unlocks the door. 

Much again to his relief, the other is sitting right he had been when Kyungsoo had left, his attention now on the door because Kyungsoo had re-entered, kicking off his shoes and putting the bag on the table. 

"I ah, got some fish tacos... I hope you'll like them." Kyungsoo wanted to just throw himself out of the window due to the cringe. It was honestly getting too much for him to bear. 

He pulls out each item finding a plate to deliver to the other so he wouldn't have to get up on the bandaged soles of his feet. Kyungsoo joins him, pulling up one of the kitchen chairs to pull up beside the couch, figuring that the other man wouldn't eat any of it unless he saw him eat it first. 

It turns out he was correct. 

It wasn't rude of me to assume that he would eat fish right, although what else would he eat if he was truly ocean bound. 

Kyungsoo doesn't even try to offer any of the sauces that he himself was loading up on for his own tacos. The other male continued to watch as the human fixed his food, he himself not taking a bite until Kyungsoo had successfully chewed and swallowed his own an a portion of the one he had given the other man. 

Dinner passes in relative silence, Kyungsoo being too tired to clean up the dishes that waited for him in the sink, the day and all of its events catching up with him. He had said good night to the other man, not receiving a response as the other simply stared out the window beside the couch. 

So now he lied in his bed, the silence in his house sounding much more acute that night, as if he was aware of every slight creak and bend that the structure under the force of the slight tropical winds that blew threw the island. 

He hadn't blocked the door because he figured that if the other wanted to get in here, the other would find a way to do that if the butterknife had been any indication. His sights filtered out into the one little window beside his bed, waves once again glimmering under the moonlight. It's that sight that eventually allowed him drift off into some semblance of sleep. 

His dreams, filled with the deep. 

***

The next morning, he's not really sure himself how he had gotten any sleep and didn't remain awake as a nervous reck for the whole night. And he isn't sure what had possessed his body to wake up like it had, but any bleary confusion or traces of sleep are wiped away as he realizes that the man is standing right beside his bed, gold banded eyes staring down at him. 

He feels himself startle, and press himself farther back against his head board. "By the oceans below." His heart is pounding in his chest, his limbs shaky with the sudden onset of adrenaline. 

He's honestly surprised that something more colorful didn't come out of his mouth. 

He dared not take his eyes off of the other man. 

It begged the question of how long the other had been standing there, since he didn't look the least bit shameful having been caught. 

He swallowed thickly, trying to erasing the rest of the sleep from his throat, that of which had made his voice scratchy and then a little deeper than what was normal. 

What does he even say? To be quite honest, he was starting to squirm under the stare of the other. 

"Is there something you need?" He finally manages to force out, pulling some of the blanket closer to him. 

His gaze moves from him for a moment, towards the window. “You smell of the ocean." The man simply states, as if that should make sense as to why the other had been standing over him for who knows how long. 

Kyungsoo is so flustered that he doesn’t notice the slight confusion that crossed the other man’s eyes. 

Kyungsoo's gaze turns towards the window in his room, through it he could barely see the beginnings of dawn, the velvet of night giving into the lavender of the approaching sun. His room still mostly shrouded in darkness. 

He shouldn't be awake yet. 

His gaze shifting back to the man, only to find the other's gaze trained on him once again. He tries not to flinch, but he knows he probably looks a hot mess on top of a little displeased, he honestly wasn't the one to like his sleep disturbed. 

Silence falls between the two, but the other man doesn't leave, so Kyungsoo tries taking a closer look at his guest in what little visible light that he did have. The white of the bandages stands out on the others open skin where they had been placed. 

"Is it your bandages?" He finally asks, looking back up. 

A nod. 

"Okay, I'll be right out in a moment. Can you get the kit off of the kitchen table?" 

The other simply leaves after that, and Kyungsoo sighs, reaching over to his night stand for his phone to check the time. It was quarter to six in the morning, after that his pushes himself out of the bed rubbing the rest of the sleep out of his eyes as he made his way into the living area. 

Jongin having done as he asked with the first aid kit. "I'm going to turn on the lamp." He warns a moment before the room is filled with the soft light once again. 

Looking out of the window of the living room, he could see the edges of orange starting to hit the ocean, signaling the dawn of a new day. Sure Kyungsoo got up early, but it was never this early. 

"Where's it bothering you?" He asks asks as he takes a seat on the other end of the couch once again. 

The man reveals the nasty looking injury on his side, revealing that the bandages needed to be changed, he takes care of it swiftly checking the shoulder too just incase changing it too. He also checks the injuries on his feet, the few that had been on his soles hadn't been too disrupted so the other couldn't have been standing on them for too long. 

The findings eased his mind a little. 

He then digs out a pain pill from the kit, getting a glass of water for the other man, handing the merman the small round pill. He regards it carefully before looking back up at him once again. 

"Its for the pain, it'll help you rest better." the scientist explains. 

Once again all he receives in return is staring. 

"Look I promise it won't do anything to you, I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't take it myself." 

He can see the other man weighing his options, before he ultimately pops the pill in his mouth, downing the water right behind it. Kyungsoo tries to offer some semblance of a smile. 

"See that wasn't too bad was it?" He asks as he takes the glass into the small kitchenette, he might as well start breakfast and do something else until it was time for him to go out. 

The coffee maker sputters to life as he fills it with the correct items, this was a necessary evil, and not one he used often as he didn't like coffee all that much. Soon he looses himself in moving across the kitchen, so much that he doesn't even register the other man watching him the whole time. 

By the time the sun is high enough in the sky to where he would normally be awake, he had finished breakfast, luckily having enough eggs for two and some left over porridge that he had made, along with some small cut up fruit. 

Another benefit of the island was all of the fresh produce that was out pretty much daily. 

"I know it isn't much but i hope you enjoy it." He sets the bowl in his hands and then the fruit platter and the eggs on the small table. 

Just like last night, the golden eyed man waits until Kyungsoo has a bite of everything before he even takes a bite. Still smelling each piece of food before he put it into his mouth, he liked some of the fruits but could see by his expression that at least a couple had been a miss. 

"Do your wounds feel any better?" 

Another nod in response, his mouth occupied with eating. 

"Good." Kyungsoo cleans up their discarded dishes, wrapping up the fruit to possibly take out with him later. "You can take another pill in about three hours if you need it." 

He then turns to get his bags for his daily beach walk, he hoped he wouldn't find anything else other than the trash. He didn't think his heart nor his sanity could handle that type of surprise again. 

He pulls on his fip-flops and throws on his light jacket. "I'm going out for a walk on the cove," he gestures at the second door of his house. "It won't be long, maybe half an hour." 

This development seems to be of great interest to the man on his couch as he perks up a little. "You're going to the water?" 

"Yes," He knew he might regret this later, but in turn he would have the other in his sights and not going throughs the what ifs in his mind. "Do you want to come?" 

The gains an eager nod. 

"Alright, give me one second." He leaves going back to his room, thankful for once that Chanyeol had a tendency to leave his things around, and had left a pair of his flip flops when he had visited one time. 

"Here, put these on." He places the flip flops on the ground near his feet. "We don't need your bandages to get dirty." 

The other stares at Kyungsoo for a moment before slipping the shoes on to their corresponding feet before standing up. Making their way out of the house came with little mishaps, i.e. the strange man trying to figure out the mechanics of walking in the flip flops, but he seemed to get it down more less the longer they walked. 

Once Kyungsoo felt comfortable that the other wasn't going to fall on his face in the footwear, he begins scanning the sandy area for trash immediately finding more than a few items shining or rather tangling up the beach. He's focused on the task for a few moments until he decides to check on the other man, looking around the beach. 

And he's greeted with the other trying to stick his injured feet into the ocean, the bandages already removed and in his hands, Kyungsoo's eyes widen as he hurriedly moves over the other man, but the reprimand gets caught on his tongue as he witnesses the open skin close as the water washes over it. 

He can only stare a gape, and at a loss for words. 

The sane part of him was trying to rationalize it, the scientist side that had seen the tail already was itching to know how that worked. Sadly at the moment neither of those functions are working at the moment. 

“How? That..." Finally his mouth shuts as he now takes in the smooth uninjured skin. 

"Only small injuries can be healed this way." 

Kyungsoo's head whips towards the voice, noting that the man is noticeably taller than him, and it wasn't just because he was lying down this time. He had to be somewhere around Chanyeol's height at least. 

The man stared at him again, but this time there seemed to be a hint of amusement twinkling there, and then he simply continues his way down the beach. Leaving Kyungsoo to stare after, mind buzzing with questions, and an overwhelming feeling settling in his chest. 

***

Luckily the rest of the morning goes without anything else life altering and he's able to complete his task, and they return to the house just in time for Kyungsoo to take a quick shower and prepare to head out for the day. 

"There are left overs in the fridge, I should be back around the same, if not earlier." He slings the backpack on. "If someone knocks on the door, don't answer it, it's highly unlikely, but do _not _answer it, okay?" 

He honestly felt like a parent giving directions to their kid staying at home alone for the first time.

Though he supposes that is exactly how it was, trying to make sure the other didn't get himself and then maybe by extension him in trouble. 

Whatever kind of trouble that turned out to be. 

He sighs at the almost comedy of the situation, but he couldn't worry about that now he had somewhere to be. With another breath, he opens the door only to be greeted by Yixing at the door, the older man caught mid swing as Kyungsoo stared at him incredulously. 

"Hyung, what are you doing here?" Kyungsoo finally stops gaping and closes the door just a bit more, just to make sure that the man on the couch was out of sight. 

The older scientist smiles, lowering his raised arm. "I just came to tell you that we're not going out today. I wanted to catch you before you walked all the way to the beach." The elder shifts his weight between his feet. "Besides you we're feeling ill yesterday, and I think that we both deserve this day off, we've been both been working hard." 

Despite the encouraging words, the younger notices the way that the elder seems under the weather himself, the slight worry of his expression sparking concern for the elder as well. 

"Nothing is wrong, right, Hyung?" 

The older man is torn from his thoughts, brushing back the length of his bangs back underneath the sun worn base ball cap that usually accompanied him everywhere. "Yeah, everything's fine. No need to worry." 

Kyungsoo's fingers tap nervously on the wood of the door, a slight thrumming on the wood. 

"Well, thats all that I came to tell you, rest up okay, Soo?" 

Kyungsoo nods dutifully. "Of course, and you too, hyung..." 

Had the elder not been visibly distracted, he more than likely would have noticed the sweat building on Kyungsoo's brow, and the way he unconsciously shifted his weight on his feet, not to mention biting his lip. 

The older leaves with one last gentle smile and Kyungsoo closes the door, resting his head against the solid surface with a shaky exhale. What had his life turned into the past twenty-four hours? A drama of some sort, but on the upside this had given him the opportunity to better figure out how to handle this situation. 

Kyungsoo turns around after re-locking the door only to startle for the second time that day as he's once again greeted by the other man, being right there, he bites back the stream of curses on his tongue. 

For someone who didn't usually walk on land, he was far too quiet. 

Kyungsoo pushes away from the door. "There's a change of plans, looks like we're stuck together for today.”

Kyungsoo works around the taller man, placing his back pack back in its designated spot at the kitchen table. Turning around with some determination, normally he would cherish the extra amount of time he has for a little extra sleep and doing another things to fulfill his day. 

He was determined toget some of this worked out and straight, and the best thing wouldbe to start with names. 

He was tired of referring to the other as 'the man'. 

"I'm Kyungsoo." He sticks his hand out for a handshake, filling the space between them with the limb. 

Seemingly like with everything else that Kyungsoo did, the other simply stared for a moment at him and then extended his own hand. The contact between them warm as the human relaxed and added a bit of pressure. 

"Now what do I call you? I doubt that you want me making up a name for you, I'm literally the least creative person that you'll ever meet."

The other man regards him again, Kyungsoo hopes that the same sense that struck him to speak will happen again. The air around them is silent, just the warmth of the skin contact. 

They meet eyes again. "Jongin." 

Kyungsoo smiles, it was progress. "Nice to meet you, Jongin." he lets go of the merman's hand after giving it one shake. 

Jongin's hand returns to his side, not seeming pleased or unhappy about the situation, though there was something else inside of his eyes that wasn't there before. It was a light, and Kyungsoo was going to take it as something that could be seen as a positive. 

"Okay since we have the morning, I wanted to take the time to ask some questions." Kyungsoo leans against the small table, the wood fixture slightly shifting upon the weight of his hip. 

"How did you end up here?" Kyungsoo can only hope that the other man wouldn't continue on his tirade of silence. 

Once again, he's met by more silence and a gaze that was becoming signature at this moment. 

"Look, I won't ask any questions that aren't too personal, but I need you to answer me to help both of us." He sighs. "I'll ask a question and then you can ask one of me, does that sound fair?" 

Jongin nods in turn. "I got swept in by a current during the storm, and I couldn't find my way out.” He shifts on the weight on his feet. "Why did you help me?" 

Kyungsoo's brow furrows at the question, he hadn't really thought about it, there hadn't been a particular reason. "You were injured, I couldn't just leave you out there." He answers, watching the other man for a gage in his reaction, again, not much is given across the smooth planes of the other mans face. 

"Forgive this question, but I need to make sure that for my own sanity that I didn't imagine it," Kyungsoo rubs his face slightly moving aside his glasses, "but do you really have a... tail?" 

At this Jongin looks amused, just the smallest touch of amusement makes one side of his lips curl up. "Yes, I do." 

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh of relief, thank goodness it affirmed that he wasn't going completely insane in that regard. 

Mermaids or Sirens exist, he could handle that. 

"What do you do? During the day? You came back smelling of the sea, the other time you went out." Jongin asks. 

"I'm a Marine Scientist, I study the ocean and all of the life underneath it." 

Immediately, Kyungsoo can see that little wall of his, go back up upon mentioning that he was a scientist.

That probably wasn't the best course of action for him to take, but he was trying to be as honest as he could. 

Kyungsoo licks his lips a little nervously at that. "Are you a mermaid or siren?" Kyungsoo was praying for the latter. 

Though that was only based off of the tales that he and many others had been raised on throughout the years. For all he knew both of them could be as equally bad or maybe equally as good. 

Some of the light returns to Jongin's eyes, and he lets out something that could be akin to a chuckle. "I'm a Merman. Sirens are born of violent deaths, those who died at sea, or those who were disposed of there shortly after their deaths... and more commonly they are the depraved of our people, the disgraced." 

Kyungsoo takes on the information with slightly wide eyes, lips opening into a silent o. "That's good to know? I knew that there was a distinction but... I never imagined anything like that." He honestly wanted to know what that meant for Jongin's own people. 

Again, Jongin lets out another huff amusement, but his expression soon shifts back to being serious. “Why? What matters could you possibly have with the ocean?” 

Kyungsoo could tell that any answer but the truth would put him under greater suspicion than he already was. “I study because I want to help, the ocean and everything in it is an important part of how we live life. We’re killing it, and even it's small part that I have I want to be able to say that I at least tried to do something.” He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

The merman regards him again, but the stare doesn’t feel as searing as it once was after the answer, as if it had taken away a piece of the distrust that the other man had for him. 

“Then how about you, how were you born?” Kyungsoo asks. 

“My people are born of things that are positive, a love of of the ocean, laughter, wishes to the sea, and we’re always born on equinoxes. Though there are exceptions sometimes who choose to be swallowed by the sea, sometimes they are reborn as one of us.” Jongin shifts in his stance slightly. “When were you born?” 

“January twelfth, and you?” 

“During the Summer Equinox.” 

Silence falls upon them once again, but this time it was filled with less awkwardness as they at least knew the bare minimum about each other. 

At least for Kyungsoo this provided some sense of comfort. 

Despite the fact that this was more than likely misguided and Jongin could very well still harbor some ill will. He was hoping and was pretty certain that the other wouldn’t do anything to him unprovoked. 

“I think the next step would be getting you some clothes,” Kyungsoo says, looking at the clothes he had lent him. “I don’t know how long you’re going to be here, but it would nice for you to have some of your own.” 

Kyungsoo leaves the room to rummage through his room finding an old pair of shades he kept around as a back up pair. He cleans them off with the end of his shirt handing them to Jongin who takes them curiously. 

“They’re to cover your eyes, so people won’t stare.” 

Jongin looked at him for a nodded, the human hadn’t given him reason to believe that he was going to mislead him in any shape or form. So he follows the marine biologists instructions as they head out into the island. If any one were to ask Jongin who he was, he was to tell them that he was a friend visiting the island and that they had run into each other. 

Kyungsoo was trying not to act strange as more and more people begun to filter around them, for all purposes, Jongin looked like any other human. And mostly stuck to Kyungsoo’s side, though his gaze did wander around curiously, looking at some of the things that the human world has to offer.

Entering the small shop garners them a greeting, Kyungsoo immediately pushing past all of the touristy nicknacks to get to the shirts and pants that did come pretty cheap here. Pulling sizes that he thought would be big enough if Chanyeol was anything to go by. 

“Hold these.” Kyungsoo states, handing the pile of clothes to Jongin, startling him slightly of his analyzation of the shop. 

Jongin looked at the different colored fabrics, feeling the unfamiliar texture under his hands, it was the same as the ones that he had on now. A little scratchy to his skin since it was unfamiliar. 

“What’s this material?” 

Kyungsoo blinks at the question, but then again he supposes that it would be normal for the sea dweller to not know what a cotton shirt is. 

“Its cotton, a plant that most clothing is made out of, if not usually mixed with something else.” 

The merman nods absorbing the words, looking fascinated that they used a plant to make some of their clothes. “Is everything made out of cotton?” 

“No there are other materials that we make them out of too.” 

“What about you all, and accessories… since I’m sure you wouldn’t really have need for clothing in our traditional sense.” 

Jongin’s covered gaze is on him but he can feel it none the less. “Shells, pearls, things like that used as accessories.” 

Kyungsoo nodded, it made sense. “If you’re happy with those we can go.” 

“They’re fine.” 

The pair leave the shop without running into anyone Kyungsoo knew, or any of the locals stopping to question the newcomer as to why he was there. Though most could assume a vacation of some sort, and it would be correct even though the island did not get too many of those given how remote it was. 

The rest of the day passes with little event, occasionally Jongin asking him some questions about other objects around the house, or why he was doing a particular action. Kyungsoo also got the chance to ask questions, figuring out that Jongin did eat fish and other things under the ocean, that he hadn’t inadvertently broken some under sea law. 

But then again what else would they eat if not fish and other sea dwelling creatures? 

By the ending of this day he felt a little more comfortable with Jongin being there, although he still felt a little antsy about sleeping around the other man. Now that the day had gone by he needed to figure out what the next day was going to bring. 

He felt bad about possibly having to leave the other just sitting around all day in the house not being able to do anything, would it be too risky to bring him out on an excursion with he and Yixing. 

Jongin had seemed to do well with their little outing today, and he doubted that being close to or on the water would change that fact. The other man seemed overly cautious, and he didn’t think that Jongin would suddenly get the urge to sprout a tail and jump boat side.

Those thoughts do little to settle the anxiety the next morning as the pair head out, he wasn’t sure if mermaids needed sunscreen but he had Jongin put some on anyways despite his obvious distaste at the smell, even after he explained what the purpose was. 

He had also woken up to Jongin in his room again, but this time the other wasn’t staring at him but rather out of the window in his small room. It still startled him when those glowing eyes met his simply stating a good morning. 

He still hasn’t garnered up the courage to ask why he did that. 

Yixing smiles as he sees the pair approach his dimples shadowed in the early morning. 

“Morning, hyung!” 

“Morning, who is this?” Yixing’s gaze turns to Jongin next to him, once again the other wearing shades and the clothes that they had just recently brought. 

“This is Jongin… He’s a friend, I hope if you don’t mind if he joins us today.” 

“Not at all, the more the merrier.” 

Soon the three of them are out on the water, a little choppy as it gently rocks the boat, Kyungsoo can feel the way the sea dweller watches their every move. But he doesn’t say anything, only doing as he’s told and assisting when he’s asked to. 

Part of Kyungsoo feels like it’s an observation of how some humans operate, especially this close to the sea. So far it seemed to Kyungsoo that they hadn’t done anything that would offend Jongin, he just merely seemed to be pleased enough to watch them work. 

It’s when they’re sitting down for lunch that Yixing begins asking questions. The basic ones he had given Jongin a run down as what to answer for basic things, but there is no telling what the older man could ask. 

“So, Jongin, why are you on the island?” Yixing takes a bit of his lunch. 

The sun kissed male looks up from the packaged sandwich, he’d taken a seat next to Kyungsoo. 

“I thought it would make a good vacation, it was somewhere not so crowded,” He shrugs. “Or at least that’s what I heard… I’m glad to find that it was true.” 

“Peaceful isn’t it?” Yixing remarks. 

Jongin nods his head in agreement. 

“So, I’m guessing you know Kyungsoo from school?” 

“That’s right,” Kyungsoo jumps in. “We were in similar departments, he might as well have been in my major.” He takes a sip of his water. “But I couldn’t get him to join the dark side.” 

Yixing smiles. “That’s a shame, we have a lot of fun out here.” he chuckles. “Well I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here, thank you for your help.” 

Jongin nods. 

The rest of the day flies by and they’ve made it back to the house with no trouble, it had gone way smoother than he had ever thought possible. Perhaps the stroke of luck would continue. 

Kyungsoo unloads his stuff as usual onto that small little table of his, before turning around to Jongin behind him who was in the process of removing his shades. 

“So what did you think?” Kyungsoo’s stomach bubbles a little with anticipation, it shouldn’t matter so much about what the other thought about his profession. He was mostly loud and proud about it, however it did literally have to do with where the other lived. 

Jongin merely stares at him silently for a moment, he had come to make sense of it as him thinking before he decided to speak. 

“It was interesting,” He finally answers. “This is what you’ll do everyday, you study the oceans to help?” 

Kyungsoo nods. “Its what I studied for, sadly there aren’t many of us who think this way, at least the ones who are in power.” He leans against the edge of his kitchen counter. “I’m going to assume you have some sort of politics back home?” 

This assumption purely from the fact that Jongin is obviously intelligent, there was no was no reason to doubt that his people had some sort of structure that was similar to theirs. Or perhaps it was theirs that was similar to Jongin’s world. 

Who knows how long they had been down there. 

“Correct.” The answer is short and sweet, without any form of aggression. 

“Then you can see why as stupid as it is, would be difficult to come together on.” 

Silence falls across the pair again before Kyungsoo pushes himself off of the counter, beginning to make something for dinner. Knowing the conversation wasn’t going to restart its self, so instead he cooks. With in the following week the conversation topic doesn’t come up again, Jongin only asking what certain objects and tools they used once they got back. 

Kyungsoo was also beginning to see him open up a bit more, the silences were less and he had actually caught the merman smiling a few times, surprisingly he had also taken to liking Yixing very quickly. Kyungsoo attributed it to the older mans easy going nature, as he had this affect on everyone he seemed to meet, at least that was Kyungsoo’s observation, the other man was just simply likable. 

Chanyeol and Jongdae were a work in progress on the other hand, and Kyungsoo couldn’t exactly blame the other. The pair were vastly energetic and Jongin shy on top of being guarded so it seemed. 

The pair had learned to be a little less energized when it came to being around Jongin, and he had seemed to appreciate the effort. As Jongin seemed to warm up the more he talked to them, the pair being happy with the nods and sometimes one worded answers they would receive.

Jongin had also continued to join Kyungsoo on his morning beach cleanup, now he himself had even taken to filling up a bag with trash as they walked along the sandy shore. 

“How did you meet, Yixing?” 

Kyungsoo stands up from his stooped position, the water slightly sending a chill up his spine slightly from the water lapping at his feet. “Ah, when I came to the island, he was the person that accepted my application to come here and work with him.” 

Jongin nods, accepting the explanation.

“Why?” 

Jongin turns to face him, the waves also splashing against him, although where he was standing is a bit farther into the water. More comfortable it seems, than Kyungsoo himself. “I feel I’ve seen him before…” Jongin admits. 

“Maybe you’ve seen him out on the water?” Kyungsoo offers, it would make sense given his profession. 

“Maybe.” 

The rest of the morning goes with little conversation before they make a repeat of what the last week had been, and it goes this way for a while, the month passing almost like a breeze. At the same time that this life was becoming a bit of a norm for him, there was also part of it that had begun to shift. 

Jongin’s stares had changed. 

Kyungsoo didn’t know when exactly this had happened, but once he noticed it, he begun analyzing it. 

It wasn’t like it was in the beginning, the wary, hostile glare it was now more of a warm stare, something like friendship but maybe something else there. Kyungsoo could definitely consider their relationship friendly, as they did talk more often and casually. Jongin beginning to ask more questions about his life and other human activities. 

So far he had found that Jongin neither liked the idea of airplanes or really understood the concept. He didn’t understand why anyone would want to be transported in the air. Kyungsoo had to explain that it was much like traveling under the sea, a that a lot of people weren’t comfortable under the water either. 

The thought seemed to make him pout as he considered it, and then he asked if Kyungsoo enjoyed the water, outside of the boat. 

“Of course, I’m no deep diver… but I do enjoy the water.” Kyungsoo remarks. “I don’t think I could do what I do otherwise.” 

Jongin nods in understanding. “And the boats help you do that, since your people can’t be in the water long.” 

Kyungsoo nods. “Exactly.” 

“But as it seems you have the best of both worlds.” He muses. “People can only dream of being mermaids.” 

"What about you do you? Do you dream of a life under the water?" Jongin regards him curiously form his position of resting his head on his arms. 

The evening sun hitting his skin and the golden band of his eyes, making him glow just a little more than he already naturally did. Kyungsoo doubted that he could ask Jongin what his skin care routine was as there maybe wasn't an equivalent under the water. Perhaps their biology and the water some how kept their skin practically blemish free. 

Considering that he thinks about the question. 

"Ah, not really? It's something that I've never actually taken the time to consider." Kyungsoo leans back in the chair, it gives a little creak as it accepts his weight. "Though I think it might be cool, just based off of what I have to go off of from fairy tales and movies." 

Jongin listens to the words with the attention that he always does, eye contact to makes sure that he knew that he was listening, he figured it was a sign of respect rather than being done to intimidate. 

"But I'm sure your life is rather different than what we've come up with, so I guess I really can't give you an answer." Kyungsoo finishes. 

"Okay, but if you had the chance to join us right at this moment. Would you?" Jongin sits up straighter at this, as if eager to hear the quick fire answer that this required. 

"As tempting as it sounds, I don't know if I could leave my friends and family for the unknown, especially when I'd be going into a situation with no support system." 

"I see." 

"If you could stay on the surface, would you?" He asks in turn. 

Jongin is silent for a moment, one strand of his longish hair falling forward, Kyungsoo resisted the urge to move the hair out of the way. "If I had a reason to stay." the words accompanied by the gaze again, perhaps he's imagining it but it felt like the necklace around his neck seemed to heat up as well. 

He pushes himself out of the chair, instead preoccupying himself with what they were going to have for dinner instead, ignoring the way the heat crawls up his neck, before it finally fades away, signaling the other's gaze had left him for now. 

***

The next couple of days go on like this, gazes thrown between each other, Kyungsoo not trying to think into too much of what they meant. He would consider them friends now, it was normal for friends to be friendly with each other. 

Although there was the little voice at the back of his mind telling him that he knew better than that. 

But ignorance was bliss, he wasn't going to get too involved in something that would more than likely . Jongin was almost healed up, more than likely he'd finish out the rest of the month and then maybe a little bit of the next month and then he'd be free to go. 

Kyungsoo would more than likely never see him again after that. 

The thought saddened him more than it probably should have, but he had kind of gotten used to Jongin being around. But he wasn't going to think about that too much either, he would cross that bridge he got there. 

Cooking with Jongin was also a thing that he had gotten used to as the other had taken in interest in that as well, helping him prepare, it was an activity that required relatively little talking and the silence was comfortable, they worked with each other as if they hadn't just met the month before. 

There had been times when their hands had brushed, or some part of their skin just touched always sent an awareness through his skin. Like a small crawl of electricity, at first he could just dismiss it as some type of static, but it soon became clear that this couldn’t be the case. 

It couldn’t just be static every time their skin managed to touch, that and Jongin seemed to have gotten an increased interest in human dating rituals. More than once he had asked questions about dating and how all of it works. 

It was the scientist inside of him, but he wondered if they had one monogamous coupling for life, or were they able to have multiple partners too. Did any instincts go for or against certain actions when considering things like that. 

However he had been hesitant in asking the questions, Jongin seeming more under the weather the further the days went on. He even stopped coming to the outings on the water, and Kyungsoo could sense that it had something with being home sick. He could practically see how he itched to be in the water. 

If the longing looks outside of the window were any indication. 

Kyungsoo wished there was something he could do to help alleviate it. 

He decides to try and ask his questions, hoping that it would maybe take his mind off of the longing that seemed to be weighing on his mind. “Jongin?” 

Immediately the merman’s attention is turned from the window, evening light shining across the waves and throwing itself across the wood of the house. 

“If this isn’t too personal, I was wondering how dating worked where you’re from?” He shifts in his chair, turning away from the reports that he had been writing up for Yixing. “You know since you’ve been asking questions about it… but you don’t have to tell me.” 

The other man merely blinks at him. “Its similar, except ours is more long term, the ocean leads us to our destined relationship.” 

“So before then, you don’t seek out other relationships?” 

He shakes his head, pulling his knees up to his chin, the injuries there pretty much for the most part healed, all that was left were the scabs. Even the stitches on his shoulder and stomach were for the most part healed up, and could be removed soon. “Its a special ritual, we wait nearly our entire lives for it.” He rests his head on his hands head still turned towards Kyungsoo. “Especially since the length of our lives can be uncertain.” 

Kyungsoo nods, thinking about his words, it was true, how many of his people had actually been killed out of fear and human negligence. 

“Are you just monogamous or can you all have other partners?” Kyungsoo leans forward, he wasn’t trying to store the information for any particular reason, no one would believe him anyways. 

“If the ocean wills it, there’s no limit, though I’ve never seen more than three people at a time together.” He responds. 

He mentions the ocean again, which he figured obviously would be a major part in the way their life functioned, much like the air around them for humans. 

“How do you know if the ocean has led you to the right person?” 

“Pearls, I think that’s what you humans call them.” Jongin said the word with a little difficulty, as if it was foreign on his tongue. “The pearls act as sort of a guide, they are apart of the ocean and will lead us to that which makes us whole.” 

“Does the other person have the match?” 

“Traditionally.” 

“When do you get them?” 

“At birth, they’re parts of our souls.” 

“Wow…” Kyungsoo didn’t know what else to say to that, the tradition seemed more beautiful to him than anything that they did up here. 

Sure people said here that they give you their heart and soul, but Jongin’s people actually did just that. 

“Hmm?” Jongin questions. 

“It’s… I just think that’s beautiful,” He shakes his head. turning back to his papers. “That’s all.” 

Silence stretches out between them again and Kyungsoo hears the moment Jongin’s attention shifts back to looking outside of the window at the setting sun, the foam hitting the rocks. 

***

“No Jongin again?” Yixing questions, steering the boat with one hand as the hum of the motor interrupted the otherwise cyclical noise of the ocean. 

“No, he’s still feeling a bit under the weather I’m afraid.” 

The pair had been sailing the sea for what seemed like forever, the water stretching out endlessly, this was something that he had never expected. They were far off from the main island, and it made him curious as to what he was going to show him. 

“I hope he feels a little better soon, I’m sure he would’ve enjoyed this today.” the older scientist remarked. 

“Hyung, where are we going?” 

“To a little place I found while exploring the island.” 

“And we have to use the boat to get there, I’m gathering the islanders wouldn’t approve?” 

The smile the older man gives him is all the answer he needed, the pair continuing to ride in silence until they come up to what looks to be a cave water flowing inside. Kyungsoo thinks for a moment that it seems to have its own glow.

Kyungsoo noted the drawings and other things on the cave walls, and even collection of items that looked to be somewhat similar to a shrine. 

“I thought the islanders are afraid of the water.” That and what he knew now was more than superstition lurking underneath. 

“Not all, it seems.” Yixing replies, his gaze also on the shrine and paintings. 

Kyungsoo knew that both bad things could come from fear and worship equally Both could cause harm and destruction, which is why it was better if Jongin pretty much left the moment he was able to swim away. 

This only gave another solid reason as to why Jongin shouldn't stay, though he didn't know why he even had the thought that Jongin would stick around any longer since he was already itching to be back in the water. 

The pair finally arrive to the spot that Yixing wanted to show him, Kyungsoo found himself looking all around the cave, it sparkled, crystals of all sorts embedded into the walls, the sunlight coming through the hole at the top of of the cave. 

“Can you imagine how this place looks at night?” Yixing smiles, voicing the exact thought he was having. 

“I bet it looks spectacular.” He gazes around a little while longer. “Why are we here?” 

The older man pulls out his book bag, taking out their various instruments. “I wanted you to see the water.” 

The pair start their usual ritual of taking samples from the water, what Kyungsoo sees shocked him. “The water is completely clean.” 

And that shouldn’t be, the water shared the same source as the other cave system that they had just exited before to get here. 

“Strange right?” the older scientist’s eyes sparkle. “Maybe their superstitions do hold some truth, because there is certainly something special going on here.” 

“How long have you been coming here?” 

“Maybe a year?” He takes a full seat sitting back across from Kyungsoo. “Its quite easy to come here since most of the locals stay away, and I’ve been lucky so far to discover that it’s easy to stay away from those who worship here, they only do so once a month.” 

“There… There haven’t been any sacrifices, right?” He doesn’t know why his mind jumps to this exact thing but it does. 

“No… I believe that they want to keep the water pure, because they believe that this water belongs to the creatures of their legends. Both out of respect and fear, it both keeps them away and brings them here.” 

Kyungsoo nods, they spend the rest of the afternoon there, though he doubted that if Yixing hadn’t managed to find anything over the year he had been coming. From what they had found the readings were still the exact same as the ones collected before. Kyungsoo doubted that they had the equipment here to look further into what could be going on here. 

But that would come at a cost. 

A cost neither of them were sure that they wanted to pay, it would bring more humans into this space. Without asking Yixing he was sure that the other wasn’t going to ask for it if he hadn’t the whole year, it would do far more damage than it did good. 

By the time they get back to shore, Jongdae and Chanyeol are waiting for them by the shore. Just before they arrive, the other scientist turns to the horizon. 

“There’s a storm approaching.” he frowns. 

Kyungsoo turns his head in that direction as well, seeing the clear sky stretching out. Although he didn’t question it since the older man had been right the previous times he had said it. 

“Its been doing that a lot lately hasn’t it?” Kyungsoo remarks. 

Yixing doesn’t say anything else as they get the boat ashore and then put away, both of the scientists having to turn down Jongdae and Chanyeol’s offer to hang during the evening. Apparently Yixing had an important meeting, and then Kyungsoo explained that he needed to check up on Jongin. 

Getting inside of the shack, Kyungsoo found Jongin in the same position as he had left him after breakfast. Sitting at the couch looking out at the approaching and receding waves. 

“Its going to rain.” Jongin remarks softly as he puts his things down. 

“Huh,” Kyungsoo folds his arms. “Xing-hyung said the same thing.” 

_Maybe it’s a sense that comes from being on the water for so long? _

Jongin doesn’t say anything else and instead turns back to the window, its then that Kyungsoo decides to enact his plan. It wasn’t much but supposed it would give a little comfort, it was better than nothing. Kyungsoo makes sure the bathwater isn’t too hot as he adds some of his body wash to it, the water beginning to sud up nicely. He makes sure its filed nicely before shutting the water off. 

“Jongin, can you come here?” 

Footsteps approach him moments later, and he stands up crouching from the side of the tub as Jongin enters the bathroom. 

“I know it isn’t much, but I think—” 

Kyungsoo isn’t able to finish the sentence before all he can register is clothes landing somewhere near him, and the sound of water being moved. Kyungsoo stands frozen near the door staring out where Jongin had just entered. 

“Jongin, are you completely in?” He asks after getting over his initial shock. 

“Yes!” 

Kyungsoo turns around cautiously to find that he had told the truth, his eyes sparkling as he sat in the tub. It made Kyungsoo relax, seeing the happy expression on Jongin’s face for the first time in a long while. Beginning to play with the bubbles floating on top of the water, blowing them out of his hands, small laughter escaping his mouth. 

“I’ll be right back.” Kyungsoo steps out to get towels and comes back to a sight that he never thought that he would see again so soon. 

Jongin’s tail glimmering out of the water, soap suds covering some of the scales, glimmering gold, the tail moving happily as it hung over the tub. He had not gotten to see it in full detail the day Jongin washed up on the beach. He’s sure his expression is nothing less than dumbstruck. 

Jongin turns his attention to the human, notching how awestruck of his tail he is. “You can touch it if you want.” is tail flicks up in response. 

“You’re sure?” Kyungsoo rests the towels on the countertop of the sink. 

He nods, beckoning him over. 

Kyungsoo takes a seat on the small stool he kept there, analyzing the tail, the scales are similar to that he would see on a fish, and the tail that very similar to what he had studied in school, but with a human like torso at the top. 

“How fast can you swim?” 

“I’m not how to answer that in your language.” 

“Ah, then what animal is your speed similar to?” Kyungsoo looks up from his tail to Jongin’s face. 

“I’m a little bit faster than a dolphin at top speed, if I’m hurrying.” 

Kyungsoo doesn’t even know what to say to that, it’s simply amazing, that something like this actually existed. But he does look at Jongin once again for confirmation that he had permission to touch his tail. 

Jongin gives him an affirmative nod. 

Kyungsoo runs his hands gently over the scales, they feel similar to that of a normal fish maybe just a tad bit rougher. And it’s as he’s getting ready to run his hand back the other way, Jongin’s own stops him. 

“Careful, they can cut you.” He explains. 

Kyungsoo nods pulling his hand back, drying it on the material of his pants. “Is it sensitive?” 

Jongin purses his lips a little as if to think about it. “Just a bit more than my skin.” 

It would make sense, he could only imagine the complex nerves that ran through the whole tail, maybe it was a bit similar to other marine animals, but he was sure that he would never find it out. 

“So you can transform at will?” 

“Yes,” he moves his hands through the water, stirring some of the bubbles and putting them in his hands again. “We aren’t supposed to use it except in the case of emergencies.” 

“Then I would certainly call your situation an emergency.” Kyungsoo replies. 

Jongin nods in agreement, then he decides to put the bubbles he was holding onto Kyungsoo’s head. 

This causes a shiver to run down his spine as a droplet of water rolls down his shirt. “Jongin!” He whines. 

The merman merely laughs in response, continuing to sprinkle Kyungsoo with water from the tub, the whole thing soon turning into one huge water fight that at the back of his mind he knew would end in a major clean up, but that barely registered to him as laughter filled the small space of the bathroom. 

What he didn’t expect was the ending to come in the form of Jongin pulling him in into the tub with him. 

“I can’t believe you just did that.” Kyungsoo laughs, he can feel that there was no place that he wasn’t drenched. 

However, the smile from his face fades into something else as he realizes the situation he was currently placed in. Practically straddling Jongin, hands resting on the ever increasing warmth of his chest under his fingers as they now stared at each other in this new proximity, Kyungsoo felt the blush rise to his cheeks and he knows that it wasn’t solely from the warmth of the water. 

The pair just lock eyes for what felt like a long time, brown and gold getting lost in each other. But in reality this only lasted a few seconds at least, Kyungsoo finally breaks the mini staring contest, pulling himself into the water, not minding the water beginning to pool around him as he stands in the floor to grab one of the towels that he had laid out. 

“I’m going to get another towel.” He quickly mumbles, trying to will away the heat that had made its way to his cheeks. 

The rest of their interactions are pretty normal for the rest of the evening up until bed time, Kyungsoo thought that he was the one that was being really weird. Jongin was normal for the most part, happier even it seemed since having the bath. 

Kyungsoo would take the lingering awkwardness for himself in trade for the bright spot that this had brought to the merman. 

However, it was later at night, when he found himself waking up. Skin slightly crawling and a thunderstorm making its presence known outside that they were able to have another moment. Kyungsoo sitting up in his bed as the various flashes of lightning illuminated the room at various points. 

Both Jongin and Yixing had been right. 

“Jongin?” He calls out, what it was he didn’t know, but he didn’t find himself surprised when he hears the floor boards creaking and a moment later his door creaks open, Jongin holding his blanket eyes again shimmering against the dark. “What’s wrong?” 

“Its the storm.” 

Without a second thought, Kyungsoo pats an open spot on the bed, Jongin takes the refuge immediately climbing under the covers. 

“You don’t like them?” 

He shakes his head. “Never have, it’s always unsettled the sea.” another crack of thunder interrupts his words and Kyungsoo sees him slightly flinch. “And it’s so noisy.” 

Kyungsoo begins getting comfortable once again, Jongin following suit with his blanket from the couch over top of the comforter on the bed. They’re close in the darkness, but it’s comfortable in a way that Kyungsoo didn’t imagine he would feel with another person.

Lightning flashes again. 

“How did you learn our language, Jongin?” Kyungsoo asks in an attempt to distract him. 

“From listening to humans on their boats…” 

“Something tells me that you weren’t supposed to do that.” He chuckles. 

“No, I got in trouble for it when I got caught… but, I’ve always found the surface world interesting. I’ve always been drawn to it, like you have been to the sea.” 

A particularly loud crash of thunder follows his words, and Kyungsoo feels it when Jongin grabs onto one of his hands, their fingers interlacing. Kyungsoo looks at him questioningly, but he doesn’t pull away. 

“You said that you hold hands for comfort.” 

“Ah,” Kyungsoo swallows, a warm feeling building in his chest. “Right.” 

There was another question that Kyungsoo wants to ask but he doesn’t believe that this is the right moment for that, instead he talks about nonsense, Jongin also telling stories about him and his four other brothers until they both fall asleep hand in hand. 

***

The following days after the storm, are nice, there’s a new closeness in the way they interact with each other, Jongin less afraid into interact in certain aspects of skin ship, such as putting an arm around his shoulders, intertwining their hands occasionally, all of this he really didn’t mind he found which was strange, it all seemed to naturally flow and didn’t seem out of place. 

He finds himself in a similar position as they were when they first met as he removes the stitches from Jongin’s body. The merman himself squirming in his seat as he knew that he was going to be back in the ocean in mere moments for the first time in a month, short in relative time but forever in Jongin’s mind. 

“There, they’re all gone.” Kyungsoo removes the last of the bandages and stitching, throwing them away properly. 

Jongin bounces up from his seat, eyes sparkling. “Can we go now?” 

“You go on ahead, I’ll be right behind.” 

Jongin nods, practically flying out of the back door onto the sand, the sunset getting lower and lower, in the sky. By the time Kyungsoo makes it to the beach, Jongin is in the water, he can see the light refracting from his scales. 

He smiles, picking up the discarded clothes and folding them up before he takes a seat on the beach. The edge of the waves touching his toes, the foam breaking there. 

“Come on, in Soo!” Jongin tries to gesture Kyungsoo in. 

“No, it’s alright… you have fun!” He tells him. 

Without another word Jongin’s head disappears below the surface and every now and then he can see his tail break above the waves. And then there’s a while where he looses sight of Jongin just as the sun was beginning to fade behind the horizon, and he feels his heart leap. 

Not the fact that something could’ve happened to him under the water. 

He was made to breathe under the water obviously, but it didn’t stop his heart from seizing momentarily at the thought of Jongin actually leaving without saying good bye. He stands up from his seated position, on the beach and stands just a little closer to the waves. 

“Jongin?” He calls out into the waves, using his hands to amplify his voice. 

There isn’t the familiar pop of the head above the surface or the flicker of the tail. 

And he feels himself deflate slightly. 

But before the feelings have the time to cement themselves into him, a familiar voice is calling his name, he lets out a sigh of relief watching Jongin resurface and come towards the shore, something in his hands. “Look what I found!” 

Kyungsoo smiles as he looks at the shells that Jongin is holding in his hands, they’re far prettier than any of the shells Kyungsoo had ever seen washed up on the beach. “They’re beautiful.” 

Jongin nods in agreement, pushing his wet hair out of his face, looking up at him, tail hitting the water a little rhythmically. “They’re for you.” 

Kyungsoo is a little is shock as he takes them from his hands. “Thank you… that’s really sweet.” He analyzes the shells, trying to figure out where exactly he was going to keep them. 

Jongin starts to say something else when his expression shifts and his eyes got wide as he focused on something behind him, immediately turns around, his face slightly blanching as he takes in Yixing standing on the beach just a little ways behind him, eyes trained on Jongin. 

“Hyung…” Kyungsoo didn’t even know where to begin. 

Yixing’s eyes shift from Jongin to Kyungsoo in an instant. “Explain.” 

Going through the explanation with Yixing once they got Jongin all dressed and dried off and inside of the house was probably one of the most tense conversations that he had ever had the pleasure of having with the older man since meeting him. A serious almost stormy expression as he listened to Kyungsoo’s explanation with laser focus, the lower half of his face with his hand. 

When Kyungsoo finally falls silent the air is still tense between them, and even Jongin was fidgeting a little nervously, eyes adverted to the floor. 

Finally a sigh, as Yixing finally sits forward. “Okay.” He says. 

This causes Jongin to look up at him as well. 

Yixing finally sits forward, his hand playing with the bracelet around his wrist. “He’s here and he’s real, those are just the facts.” His eyes shift to Jongin. “But you need to leave here as soon as possible, it’s not safe for you here.” 

Jongin nods. “I know, Soo’s told me.” 

Yixing nods. “Good, then with in the next day or so would be best, two days at most.” He stands. “Make sure you leave during the night.” 

Jongin nods vigorously. 

Yixing finally smiles, and Kyungsoo relaxes a little. “Be safe.” He says as he stands. “And if we never meet again, Jongin. It was nice meeting you.” 

Jongin smiles a bit. “You as well.” 

“I’ll walk you out.” Kyungsoo stands following the elder to the door, holding it open as Yixing ends up on the porch. “Thank you, hyung.” 

Yixing shakes his head. “No need to thank me… just make sure he gets out of here alright?” 

“Of course.” 

Saying nothing else he simply departs into the night, Kyungsoo watching him until he couldn’t see him anymore. Before closing the door, trying to figure out why the other man’s behavior came off as slightly strange. 

At least to him. 

Walking back into the house, its silent, but it also comes with the realization that their time was up, both of them sub consciously not realizing that the separation might make them feel some type of way, they had gotten comfortable with each other, and although there is no label on the feelings at the moment between them. 

There is something there. 

That night, they spend the night in each others arms, as if trying to seek some form of comfort. 

***

The next day had been full of a little bit of tension as the night before Kyungsoo and Jongin had agreed that it would more than likely be better for Jongin to leave sooner rather than later. Kyungsoo alerted Yixing about the decision and he took the news with a solemn face, not saying much else the rest of the day. 

He would figure out what to tell Chanyeol and Jongdae on a later date. 

What mattered now was getting Jongin to safety, which how Kyungsoo found himself on a boat with the moon high in the sky bobbing gently on the water. Ways away from the shore, near the entrance to the cave that Yixing had taken him to. Jongin staring up at him from the water, though it looked to be like he was pouting. 

“I guess this is it?” Kyungsoo smiles. 

Jongin nods a little reluctantly. 

“Don’t look so sad, I’m sure we’ll see each other… or maybe more so you’ll see me.” Kyungsoo remarks, trying to stay hopeful. 

Jongin stares at him for a moment not saying anything, before he’s reaching out a hand, water rolling off of his arms like diamonds into ink. “Come with me.” 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, breath stuttering for a moment. “Jongin—” 

“Not like that, I just want to show you something.” He sighs. “I know it's not possible for you to _come _with me.” He slightly whispers the last part. 

Kyungsoo considers it for a moment before he’s taking off his shoes, leaving them in the boat as Jongin helps him into the chilly water, Kyungsoo letting out a little shiver as he enters the water. Jongin smiling at the reaction as he turns his back to him. 

“Get on and hold tight, and take a deep breath.” He instructs. 

Kyungsoo moves forward, wrapping his arms around Jongin’s neck, making sure his hold wasn’t going to choke him. 

“Do you trust me?” 

“Of course.” 

Kyungsoo’s vision turns into blue, the moonlight shining through the top most part of the water, but soon he has to close them due to the speed at which Jongin was swimming. Before he knows it, they’ve stopped and he feels himself being tapped. 

Kyungsoo opens his eyes, to the now brighter water, he could clearly see his surroundings, he lets go and floats around the water as Jongin swims around him, hair floating around in the water with a smile on his face, he points up with one hand. 

Kyungsoo looks up, above him, he could see multicolored lights, he releases some air bubbles from his nose to remind himself not to open his mouth in amazement though he does give a lipped smile, _it's pretty_, he tries to communicate with his eyes. Jongin’s positioned himself directly in front of Kyungsoo his own bright smile confronting him. 

And Kyungsoo thinks Jongin never looked more beautiful, this is truly where he belonged. 

Jongin takes a moment to look at Kyungsoo, before he’s looking at his lips and then up to his eyes, all it takes is simple nod for their lips to meet. And it’s just the perfect moment, nothing but each other in that moment. It takes Kyungsoo a few moments longer to catch his breath even after they breach the surface. 

He’d been kiss before and it felt nothing like that, it was as electric as the other times they had brushed hands, just more so traveling all over his body. He feels his cheeks warm as Jongin gently wipes away the stray water from the water dripping off of his lashes. 

His eyes focus on his surroundings, noting that this cave was the one Yixing had taken him to. Kyungsoo’s eyes catch the light of the scattering light of the various geodes. He was happy in the moment, but then the image of a pearl flashes across his mind, and that immediately dims the electricity filtering through his veins. 

“Jongin, what about your pearl?” 

His smile slightly drops. “I lost it before the storm… But I’m sure it’ll return, the ocean didn’t take it for no reason.” 

It seems that fate was on their side tonight, as he pulls out the chain from around his neck displaying the pearl necklace he had found on the beach the day before he had found Jongin. “Is this your pearl?” 

Jongin’s eyes go wide looking at the jewelry he held between them, and then his eyes flicker between him and the object before the brightest smile he had seen from the other lights up his face. Before Kyungsoo knows it Jongin is spinning him around with joys laughter, kissing him again one more time before he rests his forehead against his. 

“I knew it was you.” He whispers.

“I’m the match to your pearl?” He thinks of the explanation Jongin gave him, it didn’t seem probable one because he was human, and two he didn’t own a pearl and neither had he ever found one until Jongin’s washed up on the beach. 

Jongin pulls back, a smile still lighting up his face. “Where did you find it?” 

“It washed up on the beach behind my house the day before you… I thought that someone must’ve lost it locally or maybe from a ship somewhere.” He laughs, the explanation seems improbable. “Something told me to keep it, but I never imagined anything like this.” 

He’s essentially someones soulmate. 

It was a little overwhelming, but he wouldn’t have changed the moment for the word, he takes another look around the cave. “Hyung was right, it's more beautiful here at night.”

“Yixings been here?” Jongin asks with obvious surprise, his brow furrowing, and his smile turning into a confused frown to match. 

“Yeah, he said he’s been coming here for a year.” 

Jongin has the same expression on his face as he seems to be thinking, but then his head turns towards another direction in the cave, something that Kyungsoo couldn’t hear. 

“What?” He whispers. 

Jongin holds one finger up. “I’ll be back.” 

The merman disappears under the water quicker than he can get another word out edgewise, so he waits in the middle of the clear pool. But when those mere moments turn into minutes, Kyungsoo begins to suspect that somethings wrong. He should have been back by now, so Kyungsoo makes either the bravest or dumbest decision he’s ever made, swimming around to where Jongin had gone off too. 

He arrives in an open area terrified at what he sees, Jongin tangled in need thrashing around frantically, as his eyes meet his wide in fear. 

“Soo! Get away!” He shouts. 

Before he can even comprehend what to do or another action he feels a hand on his shoulder as he had backed up into one of the ledges, he turns around in the grip of the person only to recognize them. 

“Chanyeol?” He stares at the red headed islander in disbelief, as he helps haul him out of the water. 

“Thank goodness, you’re alright, I was worried that we wouldn’t get here in time.” Another familiar voice appears, and he turns to see a familiar blonde tuft of hair. 

Jongdae. 

“Are you alright, you’re not hurt are you?” The blonde asks this question, checking him over. 

He stares around the area, noticing the cave lit up with torches, a number of people there. But all he could focus on was the fact that Jongin is caught, looking absolutely terrified in the net. 

“Of course I’m alright!” He kind of shrugs out of their grasps. “What are you doing? Let him down, you’re scaring him!” 

Chanyeol puts a hand on his shoulder. “We can’t, he’s dangerous. Dae, saw him drag you under water.” 

“_What?_ No—” 

His next words are cut off by what seems to be a massive wall of wind blows through the area causing a majority of people to cover their faces, the torched blowing out. Almost immediately someone relights one of their torches soon the whole room is relit with the fire light. However the one thing that’s different are now the three people in the middle of the pool. 

Kyungsoo looks at them, he could see familiar gold bands in each of their eyes as they surveyed the rest of the room. One of them has almost cat shaped eyes, standing on the right of the one in the center, he faced the side where Jongin is currently being suspended, a youthful face, but muscular none the less, his hair dark as ink. The one on the other side, had a bit of a droopier appearance, he could be called sweet if it wasn’t for the steely look in his eyes, a bit thinner in build but none the less intimidating. His hair a light brown and streaked in a way that reminds him of Jongin’s. 

Then there’s the one in the center, obviously the one in charge just by the aura he exudes, a strong figure all the way around. Its clear that this isn’t any one you wanted to mess with, and he stared unwaveringly at everyone, hair dark as night as well. 

His gaze is cold. 

These had to be Jongin’s brothers, Kyungsoo is sure of it especially given the way his eyes simultaneously lit up and look anxious at the same time. 

“All we ask for is the release of our brother.” The man in the middle speaks, his voice is soft, controlled and it doesn’t fail to fill the space with its authority. 

“Why should we do that? One of you cursed creatures tried to drown one of our own.” One of the islanders hiss. 

Kyungsoo recognizes him as the one who usually always had something to say about he and Yixing’s excursions around the water. One part of the group of people who disapproved of these actions, constantly ridiculing their work, saying it was doing more harm than good. 

“He did not! If you—” Kyungsoo’s speech is cut off by said man. 

“You shut your mouth, if it weren’t for you and that other boy we wouldn’t be in this mess.” He turns around to the other people standing around. “We didn’t have as many storms before they began messing with the ocean their _research _as they called it.” 

He could see that the other islanders were beginning to buy into this idea. He needed to find a way to cut Jongin free before things escalated any further. He begged with his eyes for Chanyeol or Jongdae to help him, but they simply look away. 

He honestly didn’t know what to do, and there was no way he was going to be able to do it alone or without a distraction. They would stop him long before he could even ever think of being able to get there. 

This seems to aggravate the merman, his eyes narrowing. “I won’t ask again, release our brother or face the consequences.” 

Kyungsoo believed him, he would do what he said if Jongin wasn’t released. 

The man turns to the water. “As far as I see it, we have something you want. And that isn’t just going to come from nothing.” He pulls out a knife. “And whether he lives or dies doesn’t matter to us.” 

Kyungsoo can see the moment the man looses all patience, the way the water just seems to just barely ripple on to the water, against the way it was already moving. “All you humans know how to do is take and take.” The voice can be heard in his voice as he raises his hand, the water sitting below rising with his hand. “Well no more, you will take no more from _us_.” 

“Brother, no! Don’t!” Jongin yells from the net. 

Just as Kyungsoo thinks that the situation is to the point of no return there a splash as someone enters the water, all attention to the shape, now resurfacing. A familiar face, Yixing with a _tail _and fin could be seen sticking out through the water. 

“Hyung?” He calls out. 

Yixing gives him a soft smile, before turning back front to the mermen all of which had blanched, the one in front dropping his hand and his face morphed from anger into pure belief and maybe even grief. 

“Jun, please stop.” He swims closer to the leader. “This is not the way.” 

Kyungsoo looks at Jongin seeing him as puzzled as the rest of them currently are, confusion bright in his eyes.

“_Yixing_?” The one with the cat eyes, nearly gasps looking at him as if he couldn’t believe what he is seeing. 

The latter holds his hands up, displaying the bracelet he had been playing with earlier, displaying a light blue pearl. “Minseok,” He nods, then turning his attention back to the leader, the both of them now face to face. “Its me, Junmyeon, it’s me.” 

Yixing stops there, waiting for him to make the next move. 

While this is happening, Kyungsoo tries to appeal to both Jongdae and Chanyeol. 

“You both know Jongin is harmless. He’s done nothing but be kind to you since you’ve met him.” He looks at them from the corner of his eye, his voice low. Although he could barely see one of them from the corner of his eye. 

He doesn’t hear anything in response, but he can only hope that his words make some sort of impact. 

“See he’s even one of _them, _I’ve told you he couldn’t be trusted, I bet even the new boy are in league together with these creatures.” 

Yixing turns around to face the people he had come to call neighbors and even friends over his years that he had called his place home. “Please, don’t do this. We can work this out. None of us mean you harm.” 

“Oh we know you won’t, you more than likely won’t be around long enough to try anything.” 

At this Junmyeon moves in front of Yixing effectively shielding him from the the man at this point as he glares at him again. “Threaten him again and then you’ll see exactly what I’ll do.” His eyes turn dark.

The tense moment is broken by another bout of commotion, something else crashing into the water. It’s then like everyone else in the room realizes that the net formerly holding Jongin in it has now crashed open into the water. 

With relief he sees Jongin’s familiar head pop out from the water, he’s immediately embraced by two of his brothers. 

“Kyungsoo, we’ve got to go!” Jongdae says, he sees him pocketing something shiny. 

He nods. “Do you trust me?” 

They nod. 

“Jump!” 

The trio is jumping into the water, Kyungsoo with in moments of touching the water he can feel Jongin’s familiar arms direct him to hold on again before they’re shooting out into the water again. Within moments they all surface, Jongdae and Chanyeol looking a little dazed. 

“Soo the boat.” Jongin says. 

The merman helps him onto the boat, and then he helps Chanyeol and Jongdae onto the boat, checking to make sure that they were okay. 

Chanyeol giving a thumbs up, while he sits up and Jongdae nodding. 

“I’ve frozen the entrance they used but it won’t last for long.” Minseok mentions. “We need to be far away from here soon.” 

Kyungsoo’s attention is on his former mentor, taking in the fact that he has a tail that he’s like Jongin. 

“Thank you, all three of you thank you.” Yixing remarks. “Especially you Jongdae-ah, Chanyeol-ah. I know that wasn’t easy.” 

Chanyeol just smiles. “Its not hard to do the right thing, even if it was scary.” 

Jongdae nods in agreement. “Yeah, besides… I think the tail looks great on you.” 

He smiles, familiar dimples showing. “Soo-yah, it must be shocking. I’m sorry for deceiving all of you.” His tail slightly peeks above the water. 

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “You had your reasons obviously, it’s not right for us to judge them.” he smiles. “In a way this makes more sense. You couldn’t just go around telling everyone that you were a merman after all.” 

“Right.” Yixing agrees. 

“So what will you do?” he asks. 

“I’ll probably return home, I’ve been running long enough…” Yixing remarks, looking back over to where he can see Jongin being fussed over by his brothers.“There’s much I have to answer and apologize for.” 

The look on Junmyeon’s face flashes in his mind. “Is Junmyeon your…?” He thumbs at the necklace, the pearl catching the moonlight. 

Yixing smiles. “Now you make sense too, that’s why you smell like the sea… but yes he is, he’s my other half.” 

During this Jongin swims up and Yixing moves back from the boat, his brother standing just a bit away from how close Jongin is. 

“These are your brothers right? I thought there are four of them?” He questions, remembering Jongin’s story. 

“Sehunnie, isn’t here… but these are my older brothers, Junmyeon, Minseok, and Baekhyun.” 

The three older mermen approach the boat. 

“Thank you, Jongin told us how you saved him. we’re forever in your debt.” Junmyeon says, the golden ring in his eye confirming that they are siblings. 

Kyungsoo feels kind of embarrassed at the praise. “Not at all, I just did what anyone would have done.” 

“Trust me, not everyone would have done what you did.” Minseok speaks up, a tiny smile curving his otherwise cold looking expression. 

“My brother is right, don’t downplay your good deed.” Baekhyun replies. 

Kyungsoo just nods, he would love to find out more about the situation, but he knew that this wasn’t the time. 

Instead he beckons Jongin forward to the boat. 

“We’ll leave you to say your goodbye.” Junmyeon remarks, he himself dipping under the water. Both Baekhyun and Minseok doing the same but not before Chanyeol receives a wink and Jongdae a slight smirk. 

Yixing gives them one last smile before taking a deep breath and disappearing under the waves. 

“Don’t look so sad… what did you tell me? The sea always has a way?” Kyungsoo says lowly, looking at Jongin’s sad expression. 

“It feels like I just found you and now I have to leave.” He slightly pouts. 

Kyungsoo was going to get sadder himself the longer the talk went on, and Minseok’s words echo in his mind about them having long. “I know, but your safety has to come first, we’re all going to be fine…” He pulls up the necklace. “As long as I have this, just like it found its way to me we’ll find our way back to each other.” 

Kyungsoo squeezes his hands before letting go. “Now go, your family is waiting.” 

Jongin gives him one last searing look before he himself dips under the sea before he can talk himself out of it. 

All that’s left, are the three boys in the gently bobbing boat in the moonlight. 

***

_Months later… _

The following months after the events in the cave that night, took quite a while to iron out, settling down the islanders. With the help of Chanyeol and Jongdae, not easy of course but they were no longer sure that Kyungsoo was some how a not so mythical creature of the deep. The man who had caused so much discord had been shut down, promptly after everything, none of the other islanders believing his little tale. 

Neither Chanyeol or Jongdae would confirm his story either. 

Jongdae having apologized to Kyungsoo for nearly getting he and Jongin killed by angry, scared mob. 

As for Yixing he had to make the announcement that his mentor had suddenly up and disappeared, leaving him with his study incomplete. Of course this immediately ended his stay and he had to leave the island. Chanyeol and Jongdae making him swear that he would come back and see them often, or at least as often as he could. 

Walking around with the knowledge that merpeople in general existed, didn’t weigh on his mind as heavy as he thought it would. He didn’t itch to tell people, on his secret, only saying that he had met someone on the island whenever they asked about the necklace. On the upside, he was able to find Yixing’s reports before he had to leave the island, and get major work started in an initiative to avoid trash leaks like the ones that often just get swept to the small island, it was a small step, but a step none the less. 

Now sitting on a beach near his home town, he really hoped that the ocean would bring to him what he needed and longed to see. Although, Kyungsoo had been on the sea months afterwards. He never caught a hint of Yixing, Jongin or his brothers. 

Since he’d come home he always took a walk along the beach until it almost got to dark to walk outside, and he had to return to his apartment. 

He was just about to turn in for the night when he hears it, the voice he hadn’t heard in months. 

“Kyungsoo!” 

Kyungsoo smiles, turning to the voice, running to him. they embrace in a clash of arms. Warmth seeping into his skin. 

_Jongin was right, the sea does have its way. _


End file.
